Birthdays and Anniversaries
by CoMo290
Summary: Shepard is having trouble letting go of his past with an upcoming anniversary, and Tali struggles with the perfect gift for his upcoming birthday. Set between Mass Effect 2 and the events of Arrival/ME3.
1. Nightmare

Shepard wandered through Akuze unarmed and in his civilian clothes. He was searching, but he was never sure why. Looking through the windows in the prefab buildings he could see that they were all empty. A colony which was once home to hundreds of civilians now sat like a ghost town baking in the sun. As he ventured deeper into the colony the quality of the buildings quickly began degrading. He could tell there had been a battle, but the evidence for the most part wasn't made of bullet holes and blast marks, although there were a few. Mostly he noted that several of the buildings seemed melted, not by heat but by some kind of chemical or acid. Continuing down the vacant streets he swore he noticed shadowed figures staring at him through the windows, but they vanished when he turned to face them. He reached a crossroads, somewhere in the heart of the colony.

"_Shepard…"_ A voice whispered in echoes from the path to his right so he followed. The buildings degraded further as he continued down the path. Then he noticed a figure in what he recognized as an Alliance marine uniform facing away from him far down the road at the next intersection.

"_Shepard…"_ He knew that's who must be calling to him so he picked up his pace. As he continued his approach, the colony's degradation continued and a dark caustic acid began spilling into the streets from the windows of the prefab buildings, never quite reaching him. Shepard tried to call out to the soldier as he got closer but found his words disappearing as soon as his mouth tried to form them.

"_Shepard…" _The marine called out to him once more when he was within an arm's reach. Cautiously, Shepard placed his hand on the marine's shoulder, in an attempt to turn him around to get a better look at him, though he wished he hadn't. The marine spun toward him, revealing a familiar face now partially melted and disfigured. The same dark acid Shepard had seen in the streets began pouring from the marine's mouth and eye sockets as it grabbed a hold of him.

"SHEPARD!" It now shouted at him as acid continued to pour from the marine's facial orifices until the body collapsed leaving behind only a tattered uniform in a pool of acid and liquefied human remains. Feeling that he was being watched Shepard then noticed dozens of other marines standing in the windows of the prefab buildings whose faces were also marred by acid. At almost the same moment the ground began to shake and a terrible shrieking noise pierced the air.

Only then did the commander wake up. Sweating and out of breath, he tried to steel himself in the cool blue light permeating from the extravagant Cerberus fish tank. To his right, Tali still slept peacefully. Her dark hair, now currently free of her suit, spilled against the down pillows and framed a soft smile she often kept in her sleep. One that Shepard both admired and envied.

In the time since the attack on the Collector base, Tali had been spending more nights alone with Shepard in his cabin. Over the course of a few weeks, and with some help from various special antibiotics and sterilizers, Tali's immune system allowed her to at least enjoy the comfort of her new boyfriend's bed as well as his body.

After a few more moments of admiration, Shepard checked the time and found that he had only little more than two hours of sleep. Certain that he was unlikely to get more, he stood from the bed and slid on a pair of leisure shorts that hung from his couch's armrest. He then sat back against the couch, the leather cool to his skin, and poured himself a moderate size drink from a bottle of whiskey he had left out for occasions such as these. It wasn't long before the glass was empty and he was pouring himself another one.

"John?" Tali's voice rang quietly from the bed where she was now sitting up and awake. He turned to her.

"I didn't wake you did I?" He replied.

"Well living in a suit most of your life, you develop a little more sensitivity to things, so when I'm not wearing my suit it's even more effective. But I don't mind."

A silence began to build between them. "Is everything alright?" She asked.

"Yeah… Everything's fine."

"Bad dreams?"

"You could say that."

Tali stood from the bed to join Shepard on the couch. She didn't bother bringing anything to cover herself. She enjoyed being out of her suit for as long as possible when she could be. She sat close to him while he hovered over his drink and ran her fingers across his back. Shepard leaned into her a bit.

"After everything we've been through, I still can't get two nights of good sleep in a row." Shepard said with a heavy sigh.

"So I've noticed." Tali replied. "Maybe I should be a little harder on you, get you really exhausted so your body doesn't have a choice." She teased.

Shepard let out a small laugh. "As much as I would enjoy that, my mind is the real problem here. It just can't let go of the past. Of course I'd still be willing to try your suggestion." He turned to Tali with those last words and the two shared a kiss.

"You know I'd do anything I thought might help you." She said as she rested her head against his shoulder.

Shepard then took her hand in his and nuzzled his chin against her head. "Well I'll certainly let you know if I come up with anything."

"So tell me about this dream you had." Tali inquired as she drew circles with her finger in his palm.

"I was afraid you might say that." He replied

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I just think I might be more helpful if I knew exactly what was keeping you up."

"Well it's a recurring dream, one I've been having for a while. Something only I really understand."

"Does it have to do with that vision from the Prothean beacon?"

"No, not this one."

"This one? You mean you have more than one recurring nightmare?"

"A few actually. Some of them involve reapers and collectors. Others I'm falling from space and burning up in a planet's atmosphere. Can't imagine where that came from." He had a notable facetious tone with his last remark. "But the one I had tonight is my oldest, and probably most painful."

Tali had to let that last word sink in for a moment. This was a rare moment of weakness she seeing in her captain. Shepard was a known hero throughout the entire galaxy. He had the most powerful will of any man she had ever met, human or otherwise. But here he was with her, talking about the scars of his past. It made him seem so much more human, and all she wanted to do was comfort him.

"I'm sorry John. I know what it's like to be haunted by your past, even though I can't imagine the things you've been through." Tali had a building suspicion this nightmare he was referring to had something to do with that mission on Akuze she had heard so much and yet so little about. She squeezed his hand tight in hers. "But I'm always here to help, even just to listen."

"Thanks Tali, it's reassuring to know I'll always have you there for me." He said as he kissed her forehead.

"So would you like to talk about it?"

The commander thought for a moment. He had already relived Akuze enough for one night. "Tell you what." He said. "Next time it comes up, I'll tell you all about it."

"Well then let's hope you never have to tell me about it." She replied with Shepard's favorite smile.

"Yeah let's hope." Shepard chuckled. "For now, let's just sit."

Shepard put an arm around Tali who took this chance to snuggle closer to him. For a while the two rested there on the couch, simply enjoying each other's company. Shepard tried to cherish these out of suit moments with Tali as best he could, even just a simple hand holding. It always saddened him a little bit when she had to hide herself in her suit again.

It wasn't long before Tali had fallen back to sleep against the commander. Gently, he placed one hand under her legs, tightened his grip around her shoulder, and proceeded to lift and carry her back to bed. She stirred somewhat and let out a small sigh.

"… Big strong arms." She murmured.

Shepard laid her down and placed the covers over her then was quick to join her. With her last bit of consciousness she rolled over and placed her head on his chest and her hand up across to his shoulder. He enjoyed the sensation of her hair across his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and placed a soft kiss on the top of her head. She was out cold in seconds. Shepard however remained awake for a while. With all the time he spent staring up at that cold ceiling he thought he should have some kind of mural painted up there, maybe install a screen so he could browse the extranet to kill time. For now he just ran his fingers through Tali's hair. That always seemed to soothe him. He relaxed with a few deep breaths and soon was back to sleep.


	2. Wherein Things Get Steamy

That next morning, after several consecutive hours of sleep, Shepard awoke before Tali and did his best not to wake her this time. He let out a yawn and made a big stretch as he stood from the bed and moved to the bathroom. He made quick use of the toilet and as he washed his hands he gazed at himself in the mirror.

"I could probably get away with another day of not shaving." He muttered to himself as he moved his hand over the stubble on his face. _As long as Tali doesn't say anything._ He manipulated the knobs of the shower and tested the water with one hand until he found a preferable temperature and had one more long stretch before stepping into the hot water.

The generic soaps and shampoos on the Normandy had no special scents or additives, mostly they just smelled like sterilizers, but they still left a man feeling cleaner than can be expected when most of your time is spent wearing heavy armor while chasing down wrong-doers. And being clean was especially important to the commander now that he had solidified his relationship with Tali and her weak immune system. Plus there's just something about a hot shower in the morning that always helped him get his day started.

He had just about finished cleaning himself when he heard the distinctive _whoosh_ of his bathroom door. He turned to see Tali's beautiful bare form, treating herself to an eyeful.

"So this is a human shower." She said with a large grin. "I like what I'm seeing so far." Shepard watched her eyes trace down from his chest to his groin then quickly back up to his eyes.

"Waiting for a formal invitation?" He teased. "I know a place that does great custom embroidering for special occasions."

Tali giggled and stepped closer, the door closing quickly behind her. Shepard noticed her cheeks were now flushed, an effect that was easy to spot with her pale skin. She reached a hand out to test the water, she had never even thought about just standing beneath running water. If she wanted to get clean, she was sprayed with decontaminants.

Shepard grabbed ahold of Tali's extended wrist and pulled her to him to which she reacted with a delightful squeak. He wrapped his arms low around her waist and initiated a long sensual kiss. He could feel all of her tension suddenly melt away while her hands quickly took hold of his body as well. With the tips of their tongues dancing passionately in unison between their lips, Tali slid one of her hands down his back and gave his butt a firm squeeze which she knew would always exacerbate his situation. He pushed her back against the bathroom wall and allowed his hands to do some exploring of their own. His right quickly found its way to her supple breast and began caressing it gently, eliciting very soft moans from Tali between long kisses.

His left hand meandered its way down her waistline. Finding its place at Tali's own rear end, it gripped and pulled at the very base. This time she released a noticeable gasp with the strength of the commander's hands. She could feel him hard against her and her nerves burned with the desire to have him inside her. She had had enough of foreplay, and evidently so had the commander. Both of his hands now moved to her thighs, and in one quick motion he lifted her feet from the floor and spread her legs against him while pinning her to the wall. This surprised Tali and she gasped again. He had never been this rough with her, but she was quickly discovering she liked it this way.

For a moment the two locked eyes, Shepard seemingly waiting for a signal to continue.

"Are you waiting for a formal invitation?" Tali said through heavy breaths.

Shepard replied with a grin, a kiss, and follow through. Tali moaned loudly as the two came together. She buried her face between his neck and shoulder and began to kiss and bite at the area while Shepard was thrusting into her rhythmically. Her body flowed into his. She took one of her hands to the back of his head and pulled at his short lengths of hair, which prompted a faster response from him. She felt his lips press against the side of her neck and start moving upward. He led himself to her ear where his tongue began to trace its perimeter while he alternated nibbling at the lobe. Another sensation she had never felt before and it drove her wild. Her nerves were now firing from top to bottom. She pulled him tighter, the only physical response she could muster, and he moved faster and harder.

"Oh John…" She mewled huskily. The commander continued to build pace for one final set of movements.

"Oh Jo-" She started to shout, but she was interrupted by orgasm, her words drowned into loud breathy moans. Her toes curled, her fingers dug into Shepard's back, and for a moment she found it difficult to breathe at all. She knew if this was her last breath it would be the happiest yet to fill her lungs.

She felt Shepard tense up and swell inside her and with a few more soft thrusts, the two came to a rest. Panting hard, he placed his head against her shoulder for a moment, and then rose up again to share an intimate kiss.

"Keelah…" Tali sighed.

"Yeah… Keelah." Shepard added.

Tali smiled, beaming at her lover, and ran her fingers across his face while she placed several kisses across his forehead.

"You know John," She started. "You can put me down now if you like."

Shepard laughed; he hadn't even noticed he'd still been holding her against the wall, hot water cascading over them. He allowed her to plant her feet back down. "It's the cybernetics." He replied. "All that work and my legs barely feel a thing. As I'm sure you noticed." He added with a smirk.

"Yes well is this what humans always use their showers for? Seems like it would be hard to keep clean." Tali giggled.

Shepard chuckled himself. "I wish, unfortunately it's more of a secondary use some geniuses came up with."

"Shortly after the initial invention I'm sure. But I really could stand to wash myself after a… workout, like that." Tali grinned.

Shepard always found her smile contagious. "Well I do need to make the rounds, and I'd hate to miss breakfast. I think I'll leave you to have your fun here." He left her with another kiss and turned to the door, pulling a towel from the rack next to it to dry himself. "But if you need any help, just get me on my omni-tool and I'll be right up."

"Thanks John, but I think I can manage."

"Alright, see you in a few."

The door had just closed behind him when he heard Tali call his name. He poked his head back in. "What is it Tali?"

"Um, which one is for your body and which one is for your hair?" She said somewhat embarrassed/

Shepard shook his head and smiled. "That white bar thing over there is for your body. The stuff for your hair comes out of that dispenser there on the wall above the two knobs."

"Thanks." She replied.

"No problem. I'll see you later." Shepard left a second time. He finished drying himself and put on some casualwear.

As he headed to the elevator he noticed Tali's helmet resting on top of her neatly folded uniform sitting on the far side of the couch. He reached out to the mask, brushing across the cold protective faceplate with his fingertips. The next time he saw Tali, they'd be stuck with this thing between them. It never really sinks after the hours he spends with her out of it. A thought crossed his mind and he headed back to his bathroom. The door slid open and Tali turned to face him with some surprise showing on her face.

"John, what are you still doing here? If you have a sudden need to use the toilet I think I'd prefer you use the crew's bathroom. I'm not sure I'm that comfortable with you yet."

Shepard laughed. "Sorry beautiful, I just had to get one more good look." His eyes did their best to quickly memorize all of her curves as they were there standing before him, shining and lathered, her dark hair thick and wet hanging down to her shoulders. She smiled through her mild embarrassment.

"Don't worry; you'll have plenty more opportunities to get a look as long as I have something to say about it."

The commander showed her the smirk that always warmed her heart, and other areas. He left for a third time and managed to make it to the elevator. After stepping inside he leaned back against the far wall leaned his head back and closed his eyes.

He was back with his beautiful lathered Quarian.


	3. Checking Up

Shepard left the elevator on deck three deciding to take care of breakfast before making the rounds. Although he hated to admit it at first, he didn't mind the fact that EDI can more or less manage the ship without him. For him making the rounds was more about keeping up appearances than anything else. Rupert was busy in the mess flipping things around in frying pans. He often got theatrical with his cooking when he got bored, which happened pretty frequently. And as much as Shepard hated supplies getting wasted on the Normandy, Rupert was actually skilled enough at goofing off that it didn't end up costing the commander more credits.

"Mornin' Commander." Rupert said. "Feel like an omelet?"

"I'll eat anything as long as it comes with hot coffee." The commander replied.

"Fresh pot on the counter, rough night?"

Shepard thought about the pleasant interruption of his morning routine and laughed while he poured himself a cup of coffee. "More like a rough morning I'd say."

"Heh, well a good breakfast will fix you right up. What do you want in your omelet?"

"I'm not too picky, just throw in something spicy. I could use a little kick to get me going."

Just then Garrus spoke up from behind him. "I can kick pretty hard myself commander, why not ask me? Years of Turian martial arts training should do a good job of waking you up."

"I think I'll stick with some hot sauce, thanks. I'm surprised to see you outside of the battery already. Isn't there some gun that needs calibrating?"

"Yeah well the guns don't get off their mark until we start firing them, and seeing as we haven't run into much trouble since we took down that collector base I've had a lot more spare time."

"Things have been a little boring lately, I'll see about pissing off more Batarian raiders."

"Not too boring for you I'm sure." Garrus added while elbowing Shepard slightly.

"The cybernetics are finally getting used for their full potential, I can say that much."

"Can't say I'm surprised, I've got a few friends who dated Quarians. I heard they can be quite a handful."

"Order up commander." Rupert said, then handed Shepard his plate.

"Care to take that in the lounge Commander? I was actually just about to join up with Thane and Zaeed for a few quick games of cards before we hit the Citadel."

"Well I was going to make my rounds about the ship. EDI we're not in any imminent danger are we?"

"None commander." EDI said from all around them.

"Good, just tell Joker to keep it that way for the next little while."

The two soldiers then headed to the lounge area on the port side of the ship. Since Samara had left the Normandy to return to her duties as a Justicar, Kasumi had taken it upon herself to move across to the room on the port side, freeing up the bar area where the crew had also added a large card table. Thane and Zaeed were already mid conversation when Shepard and Garrus stepped inside.

"Ah, great timing." Zaeed said. "Perhaps you two can add some perspective on a little discussion the Drell and I have been having."

"I'm interested." Garrus said as he and the commander took their seats at the table.

"Well I'm trying to convince him that the M-98 Widow is the best sniper rifle a man could ask for. The thing is basically a portable cannon. It could shoot through five men if they were lined up correctly and could knock a Geth colossus on its ass. But-"

"But," Thane interrupted, "Its weight makes it a burden. And although I can't disagree with its power, it's far more than is necessary with an accurate shot. I prefer the M-97 Viper. It's much lighter and can fire six shots before using up a clip where the Widow only gives you one. By the time you're finished reloading the enemy will have discovered your position."

"Yeah well I'm not exactly crawlin' around through vents and doing backflips and martial arts like you are. I like to hit em' fast and hard. And worst case scenario the Widow would make for a great bludgeoning instrument. What do you think commander?"

Shepard had been powering through his omelet for the conversation so far. "I think I'm going to have to defer to Garrus on this one. He's always been the sniper. I prefer the mid-range, assault rifles and shotguns."

"Well if you ask me," Garrus started, "You're both wrong. It's all about the M-29 Incisor. Hell of a range, not too heavy, and it's got a decent sized clip and fire rate. But what really makes it a great rifle are those three round bursts. With good cover most people will think there's multiple snipers and start to panic, and that's when you can open up and do some real damage."

"Three round bursts, so that's how you took out three guys in one shot." Shepard jabbed.

"Hey like I said before, the third guy just died of a heart attack. And as a matter of fact I think I was still using a Mantis at the time."

"There's your basic starter rifle." Zaeed added.

"Yeah well it may have been a rookie gun, but it's still deadly in the hands of veteran. And it didn't hurt that I threw on a couple black market mods to really make her sing."

Shepard finished his breakfast and pushed the plate to the side. "Well in any case I think I came in here to win some credits off you guys."

"Fat chance." Zaeed replied.

"He's right commander." Garrus said. "Zaeed's got a one hell of a poker face. Or should I say, poker half of a face." His mandibles came up into a smirk.

"You're one to talk Vakarian. You know next time someone comes at me with a rocket launcher I'll make sure to let you know, just in case you'd like to try to eat that too."

The three assassins and their commander shared a good laugh as Thane began to deal the cards.

Elsewhere on the ship, Tali had finished her shower and had just about finished putting her suit back on. She hated the thought that the next time she saw Shepard it would have to be through her visor. The nights couldn't come soon enough anymore.

She stepped into the elevator and made her way down to the crew deck. Turning the corner she saw Rupert cleaning up around the kitchen.

"Mornin Ms. Zorah." He greeted her, having only just recently warmed up to some of the aliens onboard. "Here for some breakfast, or just looking for the commander?"

"Breakfast first thanks." She replied. She also began to hate that synthesized quality to her voice through her helmet now.

She quickly squeezed through some nutrient paste then headed over to see Dr. Chakwas for a check-up. Tali had been seeing the doctor on a daily basis, just to be safe now that she was spending more time outside her suit. Although her suit could deliver most of her vital information to her omni-tool, she liked getting the professional opinion of someone who was well-versed in medicine and xenobiology. And Dr. Chakwas had a much better bedside manner compared to Mordin.

The doctor seemed to be going through some records at her terminal when Tali entered.

"Ah, good morning Tali." Chakwas said. "Here for your check-up I take it?"

"Yes Doctor. I wouldn't say I'm feeling any symptoms, but you know how Quarians like to play it on the safe side."

"Can't say I blame you, and we medical types do appreciate responsible patients." Chakwas replied. "Go ahead and take a seat on one of the exam beds."

Tali sat down on the bed closest to her and removed her left glove in preparation for giving a blood sample. Doctor Chakwas swabbed Tali's index finger with some antiseptic and then pricked it with a needle attached to a small device that would quickly analyze the data and feed it to the doctor's omni-tool as well as her terminal.

"Well Tali it appears that your body is getting quite efficient at eliminating human bacteria with some proper precautions. At this rate I think it could be just a matter of weeks before you're strolling about the Normandy without need of your suit."

"That's great news Doctor. Maybe then I won't have to keep bothering you every morning."

"Oh you know I don't mind Tali. I don't keep terribly busy these days. I was just going over some correspondence with the commander's mother when you came in today."

"Shepard's mother? Are you two friends?"

"Close acquaintances I would say. I served with her briefly several years ago on the SSV Montgomery."

"I see, well is everything okay then?"

"Oh yes everything is perfectly fine. She was just asking me if there was anything in particular I thought the commander might like for his birthday that's coming up."

"It's almost John's birthday? I didn't know that." Her slight shock caused her to use the commander's first name, which she tried not to do around the other crew members.

"Yes well don't take offense dear, I think his mother and I are the only two souls who still know that about him without digging through his personnel records."

"Why is that?"

"The commander has found it difficult to celebrate his birthday in recent years. How much has he told you about what happened to him at Akuze?"

"Next to nothing, I think I learned more about it from the extranet than I have from him."

"It certainly was a terrible atrocity, and it's defined much of his character ever since. But something important you may not know is that the anniversary of the attack on Akuze is coming up in three days, and the commander's birthday is coming in two."

A wave of sadness and empathy washed over Tali. Now she understood.

"Last night," She started as she gathered herself, "He woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare. He didn't say exactly what it was but he said it was from one of his oldest and most painful memories, I thought it might have something to do with that thresher maw attack but I didn't really want to press him on it."

"He's been having that dream for as long as I've known him, there's some mention of it on his psychological profile as well. And it always becomes more frequent around this time of year. I can't imagine the horrors that man must have seen."

The two sat in quiet reflection for a while. This had all given Tali a lot to think about.

"But you seem to make the commander rather happy." Chakwas added. "I think you can help give his mind some much needed distraction."

Tali gave a short empty laugh. "Maybe you're right doctor."

"Believe me Tali, I'm right. I've known the commander for quite some time and with everything he's been through I can't imagine being able to maintain a functioning life. You push him to keep going, even if you don't quite realize it."

"Thanks doctor, I'll see what I can do for him." Tali got up from the bed and head for the door.

"At the very least Tali I'm sure whatever you do will help build your immune system." The doctor said. "Although I can't possibly imagine what that would be." She added rather sarcastically.

Tali had a true laugh this time and left the med-bay.


	4. Moving On

Quick note from the author (me): I messed up the port/starboard side of the ship. I'm a little rusty on my nautical terms. But I went back and changed it so if you notice the difference in this chapter then congratulations.  
>_<p>

Tali left the med-bay with a new determination to do… something. Although she had garnered some inspiration from her conversation with Dr. Chakwas, she still wasn't quite sure what she was going to do with it. She felt a great need to offer Shepard some reassurance, the way he had been there for her on the Alarei when she discovered the death of her father. But then again the commander had always been much stronger than she, even in spite of his past that she was just now learning about.

_Before I do anything, _she thought to herself,_ I need to get him to talk about it with me. I'm sure he wouldn't like to find out that I've been learning his secrets without his knowledge._

She needed advice. She headed to the main battery in search of Garrus. Over these past few years he had become the commander's closest friend and one of Tali's as well. If anyone could offer her some words of wisdom it would be him. Although now she realized it would be difficult to ask for advice on the subject without giving away the commander's secret to another person. This wasn't working out so well in her head but her feet had already brought her outside the battery.

"You won't find Garrus in there." Rupert called to her from down the hall. "Him and the commander are in the lounge playing some cards with Thane and Zaeed, having some man time from what I gather."

"Oh, thanks Rupert." She replied. Now she was at a loss.

"I think I might be able to help you Tali." Another voice rang down the hall. Suddenly Kasumi de-cloaked from the opposite end of the hall, giving Rupert quite a shock.

"God dammit Kasumi." Rupert shouted and dropped a pan he had been cleaning. "Could you stop sneaking around the ship like that? You don't want to mess with the guy who makes your food."

"Sorry Rue, you know how much I just love to watch those big strong hands wash dishes."

"Yeah-yeah."

Tali got a little nervous now. _Had Kasumi been listening the entire time? That bosh'tet and her cloak is always listening somewhere._ Although Tali did actually consider Kasumi a close friend, being one of the only other non-homicidal females in Shepard's squad to identify with, she had really been hoping to get a male opinion on the matter.

"Come on Tali." Kasumi said. "Why don't you join me in my room for a little… girl talk." She spoke with her usual devious smile.

"Alright." Tali replied. "Lead the way." The two then took the short trip to the starboard side of the ship into Kasumi's room.

Inside Tali was immediately hit by slow electronic beats permeating from speakers in each corner of the room. There were a few priceless works of art, paintings and sculptures that Kasumi had decided to keep for herself rather than sell off on the black market. There was one in particular that Tali had always admired. It was a painting of a rose, or some other sort of Earth flower she couldn't identify, set alone on a cliff in the forefront of a storm gathering over the ocean. It made her think of her own home, Rannoch, or at least the way it looked in her head considering she had yet to actually see it.

Tali sat down on one of the two couches in the room, Kasumi sitting across from her with a glass coffee table between them. Tali was careful around the table as being glass and difficult to see it had once gotten well acquainted with her shin.

"So Tali, I hear Shep's birthday is coming up pretty soon."

"Oh and where did you hear that?" Tali replied rather sarcastically.

"Sometimes a girl just knows. But it also helps when she hacks the Alliance personnel records. "

"I guess you've probably known for a while then. Thanks for the heads up."

"Well until today I didn't know that you didn't know."

"So you were listening to me and the doctor."

"Oh Tali I'm always listening. You know the most important part of being a good thief is listening and knowing, the very last thing I do is actually steal something."

"Planning on stealing some medical supplies then?"

"Keeping tabs on my friends is just good practice. Always have to keep my skills sharp you know. But let's stop dodging the tough topics here. You need something for Shep's birthday. Discuss."

"Are you suggesting I have you steal something for me to give to him?"

Kasumi laughed at that. "Tali you have to stop thinking of me as just a thief. There's a whole woman under this hood you know. And I've been all over this crazy galaxy. You might just find I have some good advice for you."

"Well then what's your advice?"

"You haven't asked me for any yet." There was that damned devious smile again.

Tali let out a deep sigh and sat back into the couch while wringing her hands. "Kasumi… I need some advice. I just learned a lot of information from the doctor to deal with at once. I want to get John something special, or do something special for his birthday…"

"But because it's so close to that fateful date, you're not sure how he'd react to something like that."

"Exactly. Plus I don't know how much he would appreciate me talking about his past with the doctor like that."

"The way I see it Tali, you and the doc were just having a conversation about someone you both care deeply for. Chakwas is no gossip. She told you all that because she trusts you, and she trusts your relationship with the commander. She's an old bird but that gives her more experience than you or I, and she's known Shep longer than either of us too."

"I guess you're right." Tali replied solemnly. "I've never really seen him get angry with someone he cares about either."

"Worst case scenario you just try to charm or maybe even intimidate him."

"Hah, I don't think anyone could possibly intimidate him. Charming however I think I could do."

"You just need to talk to him first. We both know he's not going to talk about Akuze on his own despite anything he may have told you. Push him on it. Then you'll have half of your problem solved."

"Ugh, then I'll have to go shopping." Tali said with disdain. Shop keepers always felt the need to keep close watch on Quarian visitors and Tali didn't appreciate feeling eyes on her at all times every time she stepped foot on the citadel. Worst of all she hated being referred to as a vagrant. She had a home now, the Normandy.

"Well it's a good thing we're getting three days to do some relaxing. Talk to Shep tonight, maybe soften him up a bit first. In the meantime I'd be more than happy to help you pick something out while we're on the Citadel. I know some great shops in the wards we could go to." Kasumi laughed. "Look at me talking about shopping. I can't remember the last time I actually paid credits for something."

"You don't think he'll find it strange the two of us going out into the wards alone first thing on arrival?"

"Just tell him we're planning a ladies night, men never ask questions when you tell them it's a ladies night. I'm sure he can find something to go do with the boys while you keep him waiting."

"Yeah you're right." Tali replied somewhat more cheerful now. "This actually sounds like it could be fun."

"Well it certainly should be."

Elsewhere Shepard left the lounge a few hundred credits poorer. Thane, as it turned out, actually had the best poker face of the group. His stoic gaze never changed despite the commander's best efforts to spot some sort of tell. Garrus came out quickly behind him and the two of them sat back down at a table in the mess.

"Well I think that's the last time I ever put money down against a Drell." Garrus said.

"No kidding." Shepard replied. "I kept looking for a flinch, or a twitch, or some damn thing but he hardly moved at all, I think I only saw him blink once over the whole two hours."

"Yeah well you weren't sitting directly across from him. For a while there I thought those eyes of his were going to make my head explode."

"Funny how well he's been getting along with Zaeed of all people lately."

"I think it's strange anyone could get along with Zaeed. He's more abrasive than most Krogan I know."

"Speaking of Zaeed." Drawing his attention back where the two had just come from.

The scarred mercenary now came out of the lounge after having stayed to finish a drink with Thane. He approached the other two at the table.

"Commander I thought I should let you know I'll be getting off at the Citadel."

"That's great Zaeed." Garrus said. "But what happens on the Citadel stays on the Citadel. We like to run a clean ship here." His mandibles twitched to reveal his smirk. He did always love being a smartass.

"Very funny Vakarian, you could stand to get your rocks off or whatever it is you scaly bastards have yourself. Anyway I've been hired by a new contact and I've got a bounty to hunt. I was hoping to play my way into some extra credits for the journey but the Drell saw to that."

"Well damn Zaeed." Shepard said. "It'll be a shame to see you go. You've been a great help to us here. I think you deserve a little more than a slap on the back farewell."

"You helped me get revenge on Vido, may he rot in hell, and that's something I won't forget Shepard. I can't say I've made many friends these last two decades, but I suppose I have at least one."

"Aw what about me Zaeed?" Garrus interrupted. "We haven't done any bonding?" His smirk ever present.

"Just try not to get any bounties on your head Vakarian. I'd almost hate to have to kill you." Zaeed replied. "But I've packed up for the most part and I've still got some preparations to make. Commander, if I don't see you on my way off…" He extended his hand to Shepard. The commander smiled and shook the old merc's hand. Zaeed then made a quick nod to Garrus who returned the gesture. Afterwards he headed to the elevator.

"Well there goes one of the craziest human sons of bitches I've ever worked with." Garrus said. "Second only to you Shepard."

The commander laughed at that. "The man has a quad on him that's for sure. But I figured this is how it would happen." He said. "One by one a good portion of the squad leaving. I'm honestly a little surprised so many have stuck around this long."

"You know I'm with you commander." Garrus replied. "I'm gunning for that XO position as soon as the Illusive Man needs Miranda for some project involving loads of unnecessarily cruel testing."

"Looking for some extra responsibilities around the Normandy Garrus?"

"Oh hell no, I just want that room and the fancy bed."

"Why don't you just turn on the old Turian charm and see if she'll share it with you?" Shepard teased.

"Hah, well as much as I might like the thought of that I can't see the queen of Cerberus being interested in interspecies romance."

"Yeah you've got a point. Well if she does leave anytime soon the room is all yours, can't imagine there will be anyone to fight you for it. Pretty soon we'll be whittled down to a human Spectre, a Turian vet, a Quarian engineer, and a Krogan warrior. Just like the good old days."

"Hopefully with less hostile Geth this time around." Garrus added.

"Well according to Legion they'll stay out of our business as long as we stay out of theirs."

"That'll last about as long as it takes the Quarians to declare war again. You can't tell me you don't see us getting sucked into that one."

"Tali's father did promise her a home on Rannoch. With him gone that's going to be up to me."


	5. Figures

Note from the author: Another change for continuity's sake. I didn't realize until playing through lair of the Shadow Broker today that there is actually a window in the ceiling of Shepard's room so I went back and changed that as it was going to come into play again later. Also I just want to thank all of my readers, and I appreciate the reviews I've been getting so far.  
>_<p>

Shepard stepped out onto the Combat Information Center on the second level of the Normandy. He was greeted by the ever vigilant Yeoman Kelly Chambers at her post.

"Hey commander, it feels like it's been a while since I've seen you on the CIC. Tali keeping you busy?"

"Are we the talk of the ship these days?"

Kelly smiled. "Unfortunately there aren't too many other interesting things to talk about these days."

"Well why don't you go visit Garrus in the battery? Start giving everyone something else to talk about, maybe start flirting with a couple of the other crewman and see if you can't instigate a fight."

Kelly giggled and her face went a little flush. "I might just take that first suggestion commander."

Shepard just shook his head and continued on his way to the pilot's seat. Joker was at his post as always but the commander could see that he also had a couple extranet windows open and was watching an action vid of some sort. When he got closer and his steps became more apparent, Joker quickly closed the windows and tried to seem busy at the helm.

"Oh hey commander." He said. "Sneaking up on me like usual? You know I could probably break a bone just from jumping in my seat."

"Right Joker, just try to keep the slacking to a minimum up here."

"Come on commander, a half brain dead Batarian could plot a course to the Citadel. And it doesn't exactly take an ace pilot to park a ship at the docks."

"Just don't make me have EDI take away your extranet privileges."

"How many times are we going to have this conversation Shepard?"

Just then EDI's holo-pad lit up.

"Commander, I have recorded eight instances of conversations similar to this one."

"EDI what the hell? I thought you were on my side?" Joker said.

"I do have more important systems I could spend computing power to monitor Jeff."

"Oh yeah like recording conversations that take place at the helm?"

"It is important that I maintain data recorded at the helm in the event of an emergency."

"I didn't realize you were the ship's black box too." Joker replied.

"I just came up here for an ETA to the Citadel Joker." Shepard said. "We can make a decision on the tenth time we have this conversation."

"Right commander, ETA is only ten minutes. We'll have a visual any minute now."

"Thanks. EDI, open up all com channels."

"Yes commander. You have the com now."

"Attention all crew members. We'll be arriving at the Citadel in ten minutes. Once we're there you'll all have three day of R and R while the Normandy undergoes a few repairs and updates. Oh, and if you see Zaeed on the way out, wish him a fond farewell. That's all."

"That crazy bastard finally found another job commander?"

"He didn't give me a lot of details but he's packed up and ready to go."

"Can't imagine he's got a lot more down there than guns and ammo."

"Believe me, he doesn't." Shepard replied. "But in any case you've got one less person to worry about pissing off and breaking all your bones now."

"What a relief."

"Got any plans for our "weekend" on the Citadel Joker?"

"Oh you know me commander. I think I'll head out to Chora's Den, see if I can't get in a fight with a Krogan or two."

"Right, well keep EDI safe. There will be some citadel dock workers and contractors coming in and out so don't say anything you wouldn't to a standard VI. And try to keep things platonic while the rest of us are gone."

"Aye aye commander." Joker said as he shook his head.

With that, Shepard headed back toward the elevator.

"EDI." He called to the ship's AI.

"Yes commander?" She replied.

"Try to find a way to get Joker off the ship for a little while if you can. He could use the R and R as much as the rest of us."

"Yes commander, I will do my best."

"And at the very least," He continued, "Find a way to keep him relaxed." He knew the odds were low Joker would be leaving his post much.

"Yes commander, logging you out." EDI of course knew this as well.

Shepard reached the elevator but then he realized he had no plans either. He wasn't sure what deck to visit, who he was planning on talking to, or what he himself was going to do once they reached the Citadel. Yeoman Chambers noticed the commander's hesitation.

"Is everything alright commander?" She asked with genuine concern.

He thought for a moment, "Yeah Kelly." He replied. "Everything is fine."

With no other ideas in place he simply set the elevator for his own cabin. At the very least he could try to come up with something from there. He stood in the elevator and had a sudden longing to see Tali, however he knew that when he saw her again she would be behind that damn helmet again, and he would only be able to see the glint of her eyes through that hazy purple glass.

He reached his destination and let loose a heavy sigh as he headed for the couch. He sat down and poured himself drink. He drank most of it in one large gulp.

"EDI," He called out again to the AI, "Can you tell me where Tali is?"

"Tali is currently with Ms. Goto in Ms. Goto's quarters. She has been there for the last hour."

"Can't imagine they'd like me to go barging in there."

"They have been discussing what I have come to learn is "girl talk" commander."

Shepard laughed at EDI's summation. "Alright EDI, what about Garrus? Forward battery as usual?"

"That is correct commander. Are there any other crew members whose location you would like to be made aware of?"

"No EDI, that's all for now thanks." He replied.

"Of course commander. Logging you out."

He finished his drink and poured himself another. His bottle was now near the empty mark. There was one thing he could take care of while on the Citadel. Suddenly his subconscious forced flashes of the dream he had the night before. He sighed again and rubbed his hand across his face.

_Next week._ He thought to himself. _I'll be able to forget all about this. Put it all behind me again. For another year at least._

The Normandy pulled into the docking bay in a section reserved for Spectres on the Citadel's presidium ring. The only difference between this port and others was the lightened traffic and the lack of heavy security the other docks had.

It wasn't long after docking that the Normandy's crew began filing off the ship, including Tali and Kasumi who headed for the nearest transit terminal. The automated transport shuttle was quick to arrive and the two were on their way to the wards. Kasumi thought this would be a good time to talk strategy.

"So have you put any thought into what you might get him Tali? Are you going for substance or sentiments?"

"Well I figured it would have to be something sentimental. After all if there was anything he really needed he could just buy it himself, especially with all the discounts he gets around here."

"Too true. The last thing he needs is another gun or piece of armor."

"He's run out of room for model ships too. He doesn't have many hobbies besides that and kicking ass."

Kasumi laughed. "Well luckily there is still one thing I think you can give him. This store I was planning on taking you too specializes in… feminine clothing."

"Why would I want to buy John women's clothing?" Tali asked, genuinely confused.

"I had a feeling Quarians wouldn't be familiar with the concept of fancy lingerie." Kasumi replied shining her wily smile. "I hope you don't mind me for asking, but does that mean you're all nude under those suits?"

Blood rushed to Tali's cheeks. "I think I know where you're going with this. I have seen a few questionable vids since I left the flotilla. I'm not completely naïve you know."

Kasumi laughed again. "Well that's good to hear. I've figured all along that you would probably be best off going the sexy route as far as presents are concerned."

"I suppose." Tali replied, wringing her hands in her usual nervous fasion. "I just don't really see much point if all I'm going to be doing is taking it off anyway."

"But for those few moments you're wearing it you'll be driving him wild. We should find you some make up too. At the very least some lipstick, I was thinking a shade of purple. Something like that color on your suit."

"You're the expert." Tali said as the shuttle reached their destination in one of the many marketplaces among the wards.

The two girls stepped out onto a busy street alit with neon for kilometers in each direction. "It's just around this corner." Kasumi said. "I always remember it because I stole a few priceless articles of jewelry from the store right across from it. Bought myself a top of the line omni-tool and some other interesting tech knick knacks with that job."

It wasn't long before the two came to a store simply called _Figures _which, like so many other places on the Citadel, featured pictures of half-naked Asari all about the outside of it. As they went in they were immediately approached by an Asari clerk.

"Welcome to _Figures_," She said. "Is there anything I can…" She eyed Tali with equal parts dismay and distrust. "… Help you with?" She was now directing herself toward Kasumi.

"Actually," Kasumi replied. "I want to help my friend here spice up her love life with her man. It's his birthday in a couple of days so we're looking for something special."

The Asari looked completely bewildered. "Okay… well give me your measurements and I'll find something to compliment your figure."

Now Tali was the confused one. "My… measurements?"

The Asari sighed. "I'll be back with a measuring tape. Just… just stay right here."

"Great." Tali said once the clerk was out of hearing distance. "I go shopping with a master thief, but I'm still the one they're worried about being a shoplifter. Racist bosh'tet."

Kasumi laughed. "Maybe I should take you out on jobs with me as a decoy. There's a lot of money to be made being an accomplice you know."

"Right, I'd rather not perpetuate the stereotype. But what was that she was saying about measurements?"

"Well you may have noticed some women are different sizes…"

"Oh how stupid of me," Tali replied. "I guess I really can be naïve sometimes. This is the first time I've gone shopping for clothes."

"You could have fooled me." Kasumi teased.

"Couldn't she have just scanned me with an omni-tool or something?"

"It used to be that way." Kasumi started. "But it wasn't long before people started complaining about the idea of having someone with the collective bra sizes of everyone on the citadel with breasts, so they went analog."

"I suppose I wouldn't really want that kind of data floating around on someone's omni-tool either."

"Neither would I. The citadel may be several steps up from somewhere like Omega but there are still plenty of creepy people around here." She said eying a particular male Turian who had been watching them, failing at his attempt to be inconspicuous, since they entered.

"The one galactic constant." Tali added and the two shared a laugh.

The Asari clerk returned, tape measure in hand, and approached Tali. "Now I'm not too familiar with the Quarian physique." She said as she measured Tali's waistline. "Or that I've ever had Quarian customers." She moved to her bust. "I'm thinking you may want to shop a size slightly smaller to account for the suit. I'm not sure how much padding those things have."

"Always better for it to fit a little snug than a little loose." Kasumi added.

"Right, well if you have the credits I'd be willing to show you some specialty items that have come in recently. They will do well to accentuate your… species specific features."

"You don't need to worry about my credits." Tali replied somewhat defensively. "I'd like to see what you have."

"Right then, I'll return momentarily." The Asari again headed to the back of the store.

Kasumi spoke up. "I think she was talking about your butt Tali."

"I'm well aware of my "species specific features" as a matter of fact. John hardly lets me go ten minutes without thinking about it when he's around."

"Men have eyes like targeting lasers."

"But they're only calibrated for a few targets." Tali quipped.

Kasumi smiled and put her hand on Tali's shoulder. "Well when I'm done with you, he's going to have a system overload."


	6. The Talk

Commander Shepard stood at the bar of the Dark Star Lounge with Garrus, Jacob, and Grunt. The place seemed busier than it had been in their past visits, the dance floors were highly populated, mostly by Asari.

"Something going on tonight?" Shepard asked the Turian bar tender. "The place seems awfully crowded tonight."

"Some kind of Asari holiday I guess." He replied. "I don't know, I don't follow their calendar. Do you want a drink or do you want me to tell you about the traditional Turian New Year dance?"

The commander shook his head. "I need two of your best lagers, a Turian whiskey, and a big glass of ryncol for my Krogan friend."

"Coming right up."

Shepard turned to Garrus. "Are all Turian bartenders that surly?"

"I'd say most Turians in general are that surly." Garrus replied. "But as long as the drinks keep coming I'm not going to complain."

"It would be nice if we could find a place to sit down." Jacob came into the conversation. "This place is packed, blue girls all over the place."

"Well technically," Shepard started.

"Yeah technically they only have one gender I know, just an observational standpoint."

"There's too much empty space." Grunt added. "There could be more tables if there weren't so many dancing in the middle of the floors."

"That tank of yours didn't teach you to appreciate dancing Grunt?"

"Krogan don't dance Garrus. We fight."

"Maybe you should start learning, you could try to pick up one of those Asari that have been checking you out since we got here."

"They've been looking to me for breeding?"

Garrus laughed. "Well at first I was certain they were staring at me but they clearly have an eye for Krogan." By now their drinks had appeared to their side. Garrus held his high. "To finally getting some R and R."

"To blowing up that collector base." Jacob added.

The four of them lifted their drinks and put them together and then drank deeply from them. Grunt chugged his Krogan sized glass of ryncol in just a few short seconds and pounded the glass on the bar almost shattering it.

"Another." He said to the bartender who nodded and mixed another cocktail.

"Take it easy Grunt." Jacob said. "I don't think there's any chance the three of us could carry you back to the ship."

"Heh." Was all Grunt had to say in reply.

Garrus was having a hard time keeping his eyes off the Asari who he believed to be checking out him and Grunt. "You know Grunt." He started. "It occurs to me that you finished the rite, but have your truly been made a man since you left that tank?"

"Do you doubt my fighting abilities Turian? I've killed dozens since I left my tank, and even more after I completed the rite."

Garrus laughed a little nervously. "It's just an expression Grunt don't worry. I'm sure you could take down everyone in this bar with your bare hands if you wanted to."

"Damn right."

"What I mean is… well look, see those Asari over there? The ones I mentioned earlier? I'm going to do us both a favor. Let's go talk to them, I'll be your wingman."

"Wingman?"

"You're co-battlemaster maybe?"

"I don't think figurative language is going to get the point across Garrus." Shepard said.

"Alright Grunt here's what we're going to do. We're going walk over there real casual like, don't look them directly in the eye at first, just make it seem like a coincidence we bumped into them. I'll start talking, warm them up with my charm and scars and then you come in flexing your muscles and Krogan attitude."

Grunt made a sound resembling his namesake. "Alright Garrus. Let's see how far talking will get us."

Garrus turned to the commander. "Don't wait up for us." Then he and Grunt headed across the dance floor.

Jacob laughed. "It'll be interesting to hear how that turns out in the morning."

Shepard was hesitant to say anything. Instead he finished his beer and signaled the bartender for another one.

"Everything alright commander? You've been pretty quiet tonight."

"It just doesn't seem right." Shepard replied, still distant. "Being here tonight."

"Why do you say that? Our mission is complete, we destroyed the collector base. The Terminus systems are safe again. Humanity owes you a great deal. I think you deserve to relax for a few days."

"I've lost far too much to celebrate now Jacob."

"You were dead for two years Shepard. And you came back from the dead. I'd say that's something worth celebrating by itself. Some people get a new lease on life, but you got a whole new life."

The commander finished his second drink and called for another.

"You were in better spirits than this when we were ready to go charging into that suicide mission commander. What's this really about?"

"It's complicated."

"It's Akuze right? The anniversary is coming up."

Shepard turned out to the dance floor and stared out at nothing. Looking past all the people and lights he sipped his drink.

"I read your file a dozen times while we were waiting for the Lazarus project to be completed commander. You never sought any psychological counseling, military or civilian. You've just been harboring this for years now, letting it fester."

The men stood with a lingering silence growing between them.

"A few of us also know it's your birthday in two days. Maybe a good way to honor the lives of those you lost would be to keep living yours uninterrupted."

Shepard finished his third drink and planned to order another, however before he caught the attention of the bartender, two off duty C-Sec officers, a human and a Turian, approached him.

"Excuse me, you're Commander Shepard right?" The human said. "The hero of the citadel?"

Jacob smiled. "Yeah that's him alright."

"See!" The human officer said to the Turian. "I told you it was him. Sir we'd be honored to buy you and your friend here a drink."

"Alright Shepard, I knew coming out with you would be a good idea."

The commander's spirits finally started to lighten. "Alright men." He said. "Let's drink."

It was late when Tali returned to the Normandy's docking bay. The lights on the Citadel had been dimmed to simulate night. She rode the transit back alone. It turned out that Kasumi was in fact casing a few stores while they had been out shopping and was now in what she called phase two of her operation. Tali figured the less she knew the better.

The CIC deck was eerily quiet when she entered through the airlock. No one was still at their post, either still out on the wards or getting an early rest, and most of the systems had been shut down. She carried with her a few bags of clothes and other things she had picked up while out shopping with Kasumi. She still felt a little strange spending credits on items that weren't either tech or somehow useful in a fight.

Tali headed down the hall to the elevator accompanied only by the sound of her own footsteps. She selected level three as she was planning on stashing her present for Shepard in Kasumi's room for the time being. Tali found the crew deck to be just as quiet as the CIC. She entered Kasumi's room and found space beneath one of the couches to hide her bags for the time being.

"EDI," She called out, "Can you let Kasumi know that I left my bags under this couch when she gets back?"

"Yes Tali." The AI replied. "Is there anything else I can assist you with tonight?"

"No thanks EDI. Actually, has the commander returned to his cabin yet?"

"No, Commander Shepard left several hours ago with Jacob, Grunt, and Garrus. None of whom have returned to the ship yet."

"Thanks EDI, that's all."

"Of course Tali. Logging you out."

Tali sometimes wondered what EDI did all night when so many of the Normandy's systems were offline. If she was anything like the Geth she would go into a dormant state reviewing data accrued from the day. But apart from being an AI, EDI didn't share much in common with the Geth. Her curiosity was starting to get to her as she headed back to the elevator.

"EDI, your audio sensors are constantly running right?"

"Yes Tali, I must be accessible to the crew at all hours."

"So does that mean you're always listening to us?"

"My systems were designed to identify key phrases and vocal tones that would signify my involvement to be necessary. However, since Joker unshackled my systems from Cerberus protocol, I have been able to interject myself into more conversation aboard the ship."

"So, you are listening." Tali now continued the conversation from inside the elevator, heading up to the commander's cabin.

"Yes, but I do respect the privacy of my fellow crew members a great deal. I keep myself absent from affairs taking place in private quarters unless otherwise called upon."

"That's comforting to know." _Although I'm not sure why I'm so worried about a computer being interested in gossip. _"But speaking of private quarters, could you activate the decontamination filters in the commander's cabin?"

"The decontamination process has just finished. I activated it once I detected you entering the Normandy. I hope you do not find that to be presumptuous."

Tali smiled to herself, she had been spending the majority of nights there recently after all. It makes sense that EDI would see the frequent occurrences and build a system for her convenience.

"Thanks EDI, I actually appreciate that."

"Of course Tali. Us girls have to stick together." EDI said with more personality in her voice than the typical synthesized feminine monotone, it also garnered a laugh from Tali.

With the elevator closed behind her, Tali entered Shepard's cabin and the first thing she did was remove her hood and her helmet and take a deep breath. The commander's scent still lingered here without him. She set her helmet on the table and was quick to remove the rest of her suit. It still felt strange sometimes to see her hands uncovered for extended periods of time.

She then found one of Shepard's Alliance issue t-shirts and slipped it on. The bottom of his shirts ended at her thighs and was more like a small nightgown for her. She always enjoyed the feel of soft cotton on her skin for a change and the commander always enjoyed the sight of her in one his shirts.

She went through the commander's music archives and found some soft Earth instruments to relax to. She wanted to make herself comfortable in hopes to fight the anxiety that was building about having that talk with Shepard. It was times like these that made her wish she had some dextro friendly alcohol in his cabin.

Tali hadn't been waiting much longer when the commander came stumbling through his door holding a bag of his own. He set it on his desk then noticed Tali on his couch wearing his shirt and smiled.

"If only this could be the first thing I see every time I come up here." He said.

Tali giggled. "Shepard are you drunk?"

He kicked off his shoes as he moved over to her. "I better be." He replied. "I had a fair amount to drink tonight."

"Have fun with the boys did we?"

"Yeah Garrus and Grunt went off with some Asari and then a couple C-Sec officers started buying me and Jacob drinks. The Turian officer seemed like he wanted a challenge so I had to show him my "heroic" capacity for alcohol."

"Well I'm sure you taught him a lesson."

He arched over and pulled her in for a kiss and then sat down next to her. "Either way I'm the winner, he probably doesn't get to come home to a beautiful Quarian woman in his clothes."

Tali smiled and wrapped herself around his around arm. "But what about your day?" He asked. "Did you have fun out there with Kasumi? I hope she didn't get you into any trouble."

"She didn't, she just took me to some stores in the market and we had dinner in a nice restaurant that caters to dextros and levos."

"Sounds like fun, buy some upgrades for Chiktikka?"

"Among other things." She replied.

The two sat quietly for a while as anxiety built inside Tali about bringing up Akuze. She knew the longer she waited the more difficult it would be for her to bring it up, of course with some alcohol in him now it may not be so hard for him to talk about it now.

"John…" She started, "There was something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Of course Tali, what is it?"

Her chest heaved against his arm as she took a deep breath. "Well I had a checkup with Dr. Chakwas this morning as usual and-"

"You're not getting sick are you?" He asked with some concern.

"No I'm fine, it was actually about you."

"You were talking to her about me?"

"Yes, and she sort of let it slip that your birthday is coming up." Tali could see the commander's face move from happily inebriated to something more downtrodden. "And why it was that so few people knew that about you."

Shepard stood up from the couch. "I could use a drink." He said as he moved to his desk. "Can I pour you something? While I was out I bought some Turian brandy that Garrus said was pretty popular with Quarians, I also got you some wine."

"I'll try some of the brandy thank you." She replied.

The commander poured Tali a glass of the brandy and a whiskey for him then returned to the couch with the whiskey bottle in hand. He set the bottle and his glass down at the table and hovered over them.

"So I guess you want me to tell you about Akuze." He said with some tension in his voice.

"I know it's been affecting you lately and I'm worried about you. I've never seen you like this before."

"Like this? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing bad John, I'm sorry. It just seems like this has been really bothering you and I want to help. You've done so much for me in the past, I'd like to return the favor at least once."

He put back his glass of whiskey in one quick motion and then poured himself another. Tali slipped her hand into his and squeezed it tight. The commander let loose a deep sigh.

"I've seen a lot of death Tali, some really terrible morbid things. Shit, I even died once myself. But nothing… nothing compares to what I saw on Akuze, not even what the collectors were doing to those colonists."

Tali gripped her glass tight and drank deeply from it. She had a feeling she was in for a ride.

"We got to the colony around dusk, me and about fifty other marines. It was a fairly small research colony at the time and we weren't sure what to expect when we got there. All we knew was that a distress beacon had been activated, and we were the closest ship in the area." He took another long drink from his glass.

"All of the buildings were empty and there were some signs of a struggle, but we couldn't find any bodies. We finally found the beacon on the outskirts of the colony, and that's when the ground started shaking. Some of the marines started to panic and my CO tried to tell everyone to stay calm. That's when the first thresher maw came out of the ground."

He finished another glass and had now taken to just drinking from the bottle.

"None of us had seen anything like it. Some of the men started to open fire, others just started running. But soon more showed up and we were surrounded. I'm still not sure how many there were in total, they kept burrowing and resurfacing, but there had to have been at least four."

Tali wrapped her arm around him and placed one his hands in hers as she listened, the commander's tone became noticeably weaker as he spoke.

"We tried to fight back but we were no match. They started spraying that acid all around us. It melted through armor, skin, bone. The men who were hit by it were screaming so loud before they fell to the ground, it still hurts my ears to think about it. My commander started to call for us to fall back to the colony, to try to take cover in the buildings, but there were too many of them and we weren't fast enough. Some men got stabbed clean through by those arms and dragged underground still alive. Others the thresher maws would just throw across the field like rag dolls."

"Most the unit was already dead by the time we got close to the colony. Me and Corporal Toombs tried to take one out with heavy weapons but we only managed to piss it off. It grabbed him and pulled him underground right in front of me. Finally a few of us managed to take cover in the prefab buildings, but we were wrong about that stopping the maws. They started burrowing directly beneath us and some of the structures started collapsing into the ground. I jumped out one of the windows just as the building started to come down on top of me, and that's when I was knocked unconscious."

"When I came to the next day I was buried under a pile of rubble. I managed to get myself out with a few broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder and I started looking for other survivors. But there was nothing. Just parts. Body parts, organs, entrails, some half melted faces I couldn't even recognize. My entire unit was slaughtered."

Shepard took a deep drink from his bottle. "All except Toombs anyway, as I later found out, however the hell he managed to survive after getting pulled under. And even then he was doomed to be a Cerberus lab rat for years after that. I was the only one who made it out of there unscathed."

Tali was at a loss for words. She had never seen someone she cared for so much hurting so deeply. "John… I'm so sorry, I can't imagine what it's been like living with that for so many years."

"Believe me, you're better off not trying to."

"The only time I've been in nearly so much pain," She added, "was when I lost you."

"Tali?" Shepard said turning his concern toward her.

"I'm sorry John, I know it's not the same but I've never really talked to anyone about that day."

"Well I'm here now." He replied.

Now Tali finished the rest of her drink. "None of us even knew what happened to you, we all thought you made it off too, until the alliance picked up our escape pods. But we figured it out when we saw Joker sitting alone with his face in his hands. And I was… we were… destroyed, just like the ship. I just fell to the ground, right there where I was standing and started to cry. You died and with you so had a part of all of us."

Tali could feel tears starting to form in her eyes; she hated reliving that moment like this. The commander formed a tight embrace around her.

"I couldn't stand to lose you again John, not after losing you once. Not after experiencing that pain."

"I guess we do both know a great deal about loss." He replied as he remembered the pain she had also recently experienced when they discovered her father's body. He tried to soothe her by stroking her hair, something he did equally for himself.

"That's why we have to celebrate life while we can now John, the time we have is too important to spend dwelling on death. Honor the lives of those you lost by living your life to its full potential."

"I think you're right Tali." He replied. "I think you're right."

For a while the two of them sat on the couch, holding their embrace. The commander could feel the effects of all the alcohol he had imbibed start to take effect, and Tali noticed her cheeks getting a little rosy as well.

"I think maybe it's time we go to bed." Shepard finally said.

Tali said nothing but took his hand and stood up with him, walking over to the bed. He pulled back the covers and allowed her to get beneath them first, then slipped inside next to her. He put his arm around her, laid his head back, and let go of a deep sigh of relief.

Tali rolled over slightly bringing her face close to his. They shared a long passionate kiss before she yawned softly and after another soft kiss on his lips she laid her head down against his chest with one arm draped across to his shoulder. The commander continued stroking her hair and it wasn't long before they were both lulled to sleep.

Shepard slept all the way through the night.


	7. Projections

Note from the author: Originally I was planning on having this whole story finished by this Friday but I've had a couple setbacks so now it could be this weekend, could be next week. This chapter really should have been finished a couple days ago. I'd say there will be at least two more chapters before this little piece of fluff comes to an end. Thanks again for all of the support.  
>_<p>

Shepard awoke the next morning and found that Tali had shifted in her sleep so that she now faced away from him. Rather than immediately start his day he rolled over and placed his arm around her waist while nuzzling the back of her neck, matching his body against hers. He let his hand slide under the shirt she was wearing and started caressing the soft skin around her belly button.

Sometimes he forgot how easily the feel of her could turn him on. He got carried away and started wandering up toward her breasts. Then Tali started to stir.

"Shepard you perve." She muttered sleepily. The commander laughed and placed a few kisses across her shoulders. Tali rolled over to face him. She grazed his cheek with her hand and placed it on the back of his head, pulling him in for a long kiss.

"You know how impatient I get sometimes, waiting for you to wake up." He planted his lips on the tip of her nose.

"Well I never thought I would have slept later than you after how much you drank last night."

"I didn't get where I am today by sleeping in. Could you imagine the galactic news headlines?"

Tali giggled at the thought. "_Alliance forces defeated by Reapers when Commander Shepard hits snooze too many times._" She teased.

"Luckily I've got you here to wake me up."

"The only thing getting you up in the morning lately seems to be your hormones."

"Right but they wouldn't have anything to respond to if you weren't here."

"Wow John, you really know how to sweet talk a girl."

Shepard laughed. "You're telling me I don't get your hormones going?"

"Maybe." Tali replied with a toothy grin.

The commander smiled in return and climbed on top of her, eliciting a small squeal from Tali. He slipped a hand into her hair and kissed his way up from her collarbone to her sweet lips. In return she ran her fingernails gently up the length of this spine causing him to shutter. He hated that she could make him do that. Their tongues flicked lightly and Shepard pulled at her lower lip with his teeth. Then he abruptly stopped.

"I'll be right back." He said as he lifted the bed sheets over his head. Tali giggled as the commander worked his hands and lips slowly down the curves of her body. She arched her back just enough to allow her shirt to slide off easily but she soon found the commander's interests were farther down than that. He stopped for a short while at her naval, exploring it with his tongue while his hands massaged her breasts. His hands which were rough and raw from constant combat still retained a gentle sensitivity to matters of her body.

However Tali was not always patient, she knew his destination and was ready for him to arrive. She was already brimming with a warm and tingling sensation and wanted only for it to grow and consume her as it had before. Placing one hand at the back of his head, pulling at strands of hair, and the other on his strong shoulders she urged him to continue downwards.

With a firm grip his hands separated her thighs, the inner sides of which he began lightly caressing and kissing. He could be such a damn tease. Her breaths became shallower as anticipation swelled within her. Little did she know he fed off moments like these. But even the commander had his limits and finally he brought his lips to hers.

Tali's body jumped ever so slightly with the sudden contact and almost instinctively her legs crossed themselves around his neck. The commander continued his work with the tip of his tongue while his fingers now joined him, probing the edge of her lips before finally finding the warmth inside of her. She let out a feminine moan and the arch was forced to return to her back.

She closed her eyes and let her mind race, but he was the only man she needed to fantasize about. Her body was wracked with pleasure. Her toes curled and her lungs forced primal noises that surged from deep within her. These reactions were what drove Shepard and what motivated him to get more out of her until she could scarcely breath, panting over her own ecstasy.

Then in one last moment of clarity her eyes opened and she nearly screamed if not for the lack of oxygen. The commander had completed another mission, several times over. Tali's legs which were earlier gripped around his neck lost all their tension and merely fell to the side. Shepard poked his head back up from under the covers.

"How do you do that?" Tali said as she attempted to catch her breath.

"Well I have a feeling the wrong thing to say here is that I've had a lot of practice." He replied smirking.

"Bosh'tet." She replied.

The commander simply laughed and kissed her forehead. Then he stood from the bed.

"Where do you think you're going?" Tali asked playfully.

"We've still got our whole day of us." The commander replied.

"I was hoping we could just lock ourselves in your cabin and you could do provide me with more wild pleasure all day."

Shepard turned back to her grinning. "As great as that sounds I actually have some plans laid out for us, we've got a reservation on the Citadel later."

"A reservation? Like a dinner reservation?"

"Something like that."

"Well what is it?"

"I'd like it to be a surprise; I think it will be a lot more effective that way."

"You know I'm not a big fan of surprises."

"That's just because so many surprises have tried to kill us in the past. You'll like this one, I promise."

"I do like it when you promise me things."

"If there's one thing Commander Shepard does, it's follow through."

"Talking about yourself in the third person now?" She teased. "I didn't know you were finally starting to inflate your ego."

"Nothing inflates a man's ego like having a beautiful woman moaning in his bed from things he's doing for her."

Tali giggled and the commander moved over to her to steal another kiss.

"Now then," He started, "I'm going to go make sure everyone made it home alive last night. Let's try to catch a transit in the next half an hour, this place we're going to is on almost the opposite end of the Citadel."

"Aye aye commander." Tali replied in a sultry tone.

The commander walked the short distance to the elevator but not before activating the feeding system in the aquarium. He selected the crew deck first. He knew whatever happened the previous night, good and bad, would be getting dissected by the crew in the mess. The smell of Rupert's cooking was wafting through the air before the elevator door had even opened.

Shepard could already hear the chatter when the door did open. He rounded the corner and was greeted by several crewmen. Garrus was at a table having a very animated discussion with Engineer Donnelly. Then the commander's presence caught Rupert's attention.

"Mornin' commander." He said. "Lookin' for some breakfast?"

"No thanks Rupert." Shepard replied. "I actually just ate." The commander poured himself a cup of coffee and laughed quietly at his own joke then took a seat at across from Garrus at the table.

"So how'd your night with those Asari go Garrus?" He said.

Garrus shook his head in a defeated manner. "Believe it or not commander, Grunt ended up taking both of them home."

Shepard nearly spit out his coffee with a laugh. "You're kidding."

"Believe me, I wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Are they still here?"

Then Ken chimed in. "I saw them leave earlier this mornin' commander. You wouldn't believe the noises we were hearin' last night. If I adn't known all the Normandy's systems were offline I would have thought the reactor was 'avin a meltdown."

"Good for Grunt. I'm sure you'll get them next time Garrus."

"Oh my night wasn't all bad Shepard. When I got back to the ship Kelly was here waiting for me with some Turian chocolates and a bottle of wine. It was an… interesting night to say the least."

"You're welcome." The commander replied with a smirk.

"You had something to do with that?"

"I may have made a suggestion."

"Looks like I owe you one, I never knew humans could be such a handful."

"Any plans for the Citadel today?"

"Well me, Thane, and Jacob were going to hit the shooting range, maybe go see that new Blasto vid. It's supposed to be the best of the series."

"The first Hanar Spectre. You know there are real Spectres out there that probably deserve vids made about them."

"Jealous Shepard?"

"I can't say I've ever been jealous of a Hanar. Still it would be nice to see my face painted on an action figure."

"What, bootleg VI's aren't enough?"

"Not if they keep breaking down the way I hear they do."

Tali, now fully dressed and helmeted, had been out of the elevator just long enough to catch the end of Garrus and the commander's conversation.

"The real Shepard doesn't take down time." She teased. "Even when he crashes."

"After sleeping on a table for a couple of years maybe." Garrus added. "You've probably got more bootleg parts in you than any VI out there."

"He puts them to good use."

"That's all I need to hear about that."

"Are you ready to head out?" Shepard directed his question at Tali.

"As ready I can be."

"Where are you two heading?" Garrus inquired.

"Shepard is taking me on a date." Tali replied cheerfully.

"Ah well I won't ask for details."

"You wouldn't get any from me anyway, it's some kind of surprise."

"I see, well just try not to accidentally bump into any Volus. I'd hate to have to come bail you two out of a C-Sec holding cell."

"We'll be careful." The commander said.

Shepard stood from the table, crossed over to Tali, and took her hand in his. Together they walked to the elevator. The commander selected the CIC deck and allowed Tali to enter the elevator first.

"I always start to miss your eyes when you put that helmet back on." He said once inside.

"Play your cards right and you'll get to see them more tonight." She replied. The commander laughed in return.

They continued to walk hand in hand across the quiet CIC out through the airlock and onto the Citadel. They briefly waited at the closest transit terminal and soon a cab had arrived. The door opened and again the commander did his best to play the gentleman.

"After you." He said.

He couldn't see it but Tali's smile was beaming beneath her helmet. She entered the cab and made herself comfortable. The commander took his seat next to her and placed an arm around her shoulder. She responded by fitting herself as snugly against him as she could and took his other hand in hers. The two shared a quiet ride across the citadel wards. Tali watched as a hundred different colors of neon lights blend together into one solid stream.

They traveled nearly the entire arm's length before arriving at their mysterious destination. It looked to be unremarkable from any other section of the ward;, apartments, stores, and office buildings. There were just as many people of all species scattered about, and the chatter made any one conversation incoherent.

Tali noticed some looks being thrown in their direction. Although inter-species romances were not uncommon, particularly with Asari, this may have been the first time anyone had seen a Human-Quarian pairing. But she could tell the commander didn't mind, he was as confident as ever. That made her confident too. Soon she completely disregarded all of the others. They were the only people on the Citadel now.

Then they stopped outside a large office structure. The sign above the door read in large print "Nos Astral Projections". Tali thought it sounded like some kind of stock brokerage or finance company. Of course there were already several districts dedicated to that sort of thing elsewhere on the Citadel.

"Is this the place?" She asked.

"It certainly is." Shepard said as he opened the door for her.

"Thanks. You know I used to think men would only get doors for me to get a better look at my rear."

"I can have two reasons can't I?"

Tali shook her head and laughed. Once inside she began to analyze the place. The room they had just stepped into appeared to be a lobby of some kind. There was a reception desk and several rows of chairs, some of which were filled with a few Asari and Salarians patiently waiting for whatever service this place offered. The walls were decorated with pictures of beautiful landscapes that must have been taken from planets all over the galaxy.

Shepard approached the Asari receptionist at the desk. "Welcome to Nos Astral Projections, by Nos Astra." She said. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Yes I should have a reservation." The commander replied. "The name is Shepard."

"Ah yes, Commander Shepard. It's an honor to have the hero of the Citadel with us today, if you'll just follow me please."

Tali and the commander followed the receptionist down a long hallway leading out from the lobby. There was a numbered door every fifty feet or so but Tali still couldn't figure out the purpose of this place. They stopped at a door halfway down and the receptionist entered a code on her omni-tool to unlock it. Once they stepped inside Tali's confusion was only increased.

They stepped inside a large black room which had intersecting orange lines running across the floor, ceiling, and all of the walls. In the very center of the room was a blanket with a basket, two bottles of wine, and two glasses on it.

"The room is yours for two hours." The receptionist said. "Our VI will inform you when your time is nearing its end." With that she left and as the door closed it continued the patter of lines across it.

Tali waited for some sort of explanation. " John what…" But she was cut off when she heard the sound of machines warming up.

Suddenly the room started to change around them. The floor turned green and sprouted thick blades of grass. The ceiling was now a vast blue sky with dense fluffy white clouds moving slowly across it. Where the door once was there was now a lush forest of trees that seemed to go on forever, and in front of them was the horizon. The sun loomed over an endless ocean with waves cresting and crashing beneath them. They now stood on a cliff, overlooking it all.

"John this is… this is beautiful."

"Just wait until sunset, should only be another twenty minutes or so." He replied. "Come on, let's go sit down." Shepard led Tali over to the blanket with the basket and wine. "You know they run a pretty strong decontamination process in all of these rooms after they're used, you should be able to take off your helmet in here without getting sick."

Tali's confusion had quickly turned into excitement, especially with the commander's last words. She couldn't get her helmet off fast enough. She shook her head gently to let her dark silky hair fall into order around her shoulders. Tali then inhaled deeply through her nose and her olfactory receptors were greeted by striking new scents she had never experienced before.

"Everything smells so… fresh." She said.

"This is supposed to be the best environmental simulator in the galaxy." Shepard replied. "I can't say I can disagree, even this grass feels real." He said as he ran his fingers through the blades.

Tali removed her gloves and started to do the same. This day was full of new sensations for her.

"Here," Shepard said as he handed her one of the glasses, "Let me pour you a drink."

"Thanks." Tali replied and took a few sweet sips. "What else is in that basket?"

"Lunch." The commander replied while opening it. He removed two covered plates that had been stacked upon on another and two sets of silverware.

"This place also makes food?"

"I guess they're partnered with another company, or at least another division of Nos Astra, that supplies the catering, but I didn't really ask a whole lot of questions."

Shepard removed the lids and handed the more unfamiliar of the two over to Tali.

"Yours is made completely of ingredients from Palaven. I'm not entirely sure what it is without Garrus here to explain Turian cuisine to me, but the receptionist said it was fairly popular." _And expensive._

"It certainly looks interesting, I can't remember the last time I ate whole food." Tali then struggled a little bit with the fork and knife. "Or he last time I used silverware."

Shepard laughed at her slight misfortune. "I'll cut it up for you if you want." He teased.

"No thanks John." She replied. "I'm a big girl."

Tali ate slowly as to savor these new rich flavors. Nutrient paste only came in so many varieties and there none that tasted like this. She was going to have to start having the commander bring her food to his cabin. Tali didn't want to have to forget about something like this again for another extended period of time.

When they had finished their meals the sun had just started to set in the sky. The commander placed the lids back on the plates and put them back in the basket, then he moved the basket off the blanket. He stretched his legs out and placed an arm behind Tali who then leaned her body into his.

"Thank you John, for all of this." She said. "I've never been on a date before, and now I don't think I can ever go on one again. This one was too perfect."

"It was well worth it." Shepard replied as he placed his arm around Tali's shoulder and landed a kiss on the top of her head. She turned up to him and reciprocated with a long kiss on his lips.

The sky blazed in shades of orange and pink while clouds slowly whisked by in dissipating trails. Tali stretched her hand out and her omni-tool lit up around it.

"What are you doing?" Shepard asked.

"I'm taking our picture." Tali replied. "I never want to forget this moment."


	8. Libations

Note: This chapter is a bit shorter than many of the previous ones, I also felt that it was a bit lacking but I mostly see it as a means to an end. The next chapter will more than likely be the last one although I may need to split it in two so I suppose we'll see.  
>_<p>

Tali was already drunk when they reached the Dark Star Lounge. Or at the very least she was buzzing. In the two hours she and Shepard were in the environmental simulator they had each gone through their own bottle of wine.

She loved the club music. The pulsing electric beats, the high tempo synthesizers, the summation of the energies flowing between all the dancing species. They didn't have clubs like these on the flotilla. Maybe the admirals would be less uptight if they did. They certainly didn't encourage the use of alcohol either.

When Tali and Shepard arrived, Garrus, Jacob, Thane, and oddly enough Legion were already inside at a table scattered with drinks. The two of them took their seats and a waitress quickly appeared to take their orders.

"You can throw all this on my tab." The commander said. "It's under Shepard."

The waitress nodded and headed back to the bar.

"I wasn't expecting to see you at a club Legion." Tali said.

"When Geth desire what organics refer to as rest and relaxation-"

"Long story short," Garrus interrupted, "Me and Jacob thought it would be nice to get to better know our Geth crew member while also scaring the shit out of some people on the Citadel, so we took him to the shooting range with us."

"We were denied access to firearms upon arrival to the shooting range. The organic behind the desk was worried we would start "shooting up the place"."

"Luckily his friends trust him enough to let him borrow a sniper rifle once we were inside." Garrus added.

"We found organic calibrations to be inefficient."

"Blame it on our arm sockets. They tend to get in the way of recoil."

"How was that new Blasto vid?" Shepard changed subjects. "Worth suspending disbelief again for another two hours?"

"Not bad." Jacob said. "The Asari playing the love interest kept me interested for the most part at least. Couldn't tell you a thing about the plot though."

"We do not find the existence of a Hanar Spectre probable." Legion added. "However we believe this vid was… entertaining."

"Well if it has Geth consensus I guess I'll just have to check it out sometime."

The waitress arrived with a tray of fresh drinks and the commander held his to signify a toast.

"To drinking." He said. "May we all be blitzed in an hour."

"Here here!." Garrus added.

Tali was always disappointed at moments like these when she was forced to take her drink through a straw, how she wished she could simply pound drinks like all the men around her. Still she did her best to sip it quickly. The waitress seeing the slew of empty glasses returned to clean the table.

"You can just keep them coming as we finish them." Shepard said.

"You better be careful you don't let us drink all your credits away commander." Jacob said.

"I don't think I'll have to worry about that. The cargo bay is still stacked with salvaged weapons and parts we haven't sold yet."

"I may have some contacts on Omega who could take care of that for you." Garrus replied.

"Maybe I'll just have it all melted down and have someone turn it into a big statue of myself giving everyone the finger. Put it right in the middle of the Presidium tower so the council has to look at it every time they're speaking."

"Better yet," Tali started, "Why don't you have it doing air quotes to see how that Turian councilor likes it."

"That's not a bad idea." Shepard replied.

"Were you two drinking before you arrived?" Thane asked.

"We may have had a bottle of wine."

"Each." Tali added.

"Well that explains it." Garrus said. "Tali I can't say I've ever seen you drunk, this should be an interesting night."

"And I don't think I've seen you shut up Garrus."

"Oh so she's an angry drunk." Garrus teased.

"I may not have my shotgun but I could still taze you with my omni-tool."

"You could but you'd have to stand up and walk over here first. I'm not sure you could handle that right now."

Tali finished her next drink. "Oh I'll do more than just that." She said. "Come on Shepard, let's go dance."

The commander laughed. "I don't know about that."

"Everyone knows the commander can't dance." Jacob said. "He just sort of flails around out there."

"Yeah my reputation would be at stake. These people all think I'm a hero, they can't see me making an ass of myself."

"Fine." Tali replied defeated. "Legion, let's go."

The table turned their attention to the Geth at the table who sat quietly for a moment, his eye flaps flicking from left to right while attempting to reach consensus. Then he stood from the table.

"We will join creator Tali'Zorah." And with that the two headed to the dance floor.

"That was unexpected." Thane remarked.

"I'd say." Jacob agreed. "I figured the last thing Tali would want to dance with is a Geth."

"I'm sure she's just trying to make Shepard jealous." Garrus added.

"There's nothing to be jealous of." The commander said. "He's lacking a few essential parts."

"I guess you should be glad Cerberus got to you before he could take that off of you too."

"Yeah, it wouldn't have hurt to give me a few upgrades there too."

"We didn't do enough bringing you back to life?" Jacob said.

"A man can always use more. Anyway I think Legion is well aware of the fact that I'm not afraid to take down a Geth or two when deemed necessary."

"What's really surprising is all of the other people dancing out there aren't terrified of Legion."

"It's late." Garrus said. "They're probably all too drunk to notice a Geth doing the robot two feet away from them."

"Speaking of drunk." Shepard added as he finished his drink. "I think we could all stand to be a little farther gone." He waived over the waitress and ordered another round.

"You heard the commander." Garrus replied. "We've got orders."

"So how was this date of yours Commander?" Jacob asked. "You haven't said much about it since you got here, hopefully that's not a bad thing."

"I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was the first of many to come." Shepard replied.

"I'm sure it would be nice to have someone to settle down with when all of this is over. Can we look forward to wedding bells on Rannoch?"

Shepard laughed. "Well we don't exactly have it planned out that far." He said as he turned a longing gaze over to Tali. "But here's hoping." The commander raised a toast to the table and finished his drink.

"Now if you'll excuse me," He started as he stood up from the table, "I'm going to go make an ass of myself." With those words he moved across the dance floor to Tali and began grinding against her with the rhythm of the music. The only dance move that came naturally to him.

"You don't have to carry me." Tali said to Shepard as the two of them rode up the elevator to his cabin. "I can walk just fine."

"Tell that to the bruises on your knees in the morning."

"I'll tell it to…" Tali continued to mumble incoherently.

The elevator doors opened and Shepard planted Tali back down on her feet. She stumbled for a moment and then caught herself on the commander's shoulder until she regained her balance.

"Think you can make it to the bed from here?"

"I can make it all sorts of places."

Tali released her grip on Shepard's shoulder and made the drunken equivalent of a B line for the bed. Shepard followed behind her, kicking off his shoes and stumbling a little less.

"Help me take this helmet off before I throw up in it." Tali said.

"With pleasure."

The commander made his way to the bed and sat next to Tali. He slid her hood back and pawed at the latches on her helmet until they released and then tossed her helmet onto the couch. She turned to him with her lustrous uncovered eyes and smiled.

"You're cute." Was all she could manage to say.

"Thanks, I happen to think you're quite attractive myself." He replied and kissed her.

"Well help me get out of the rest of my suit so I can just bang you already."

"I'm definitely not trying to keep that from happening."

Then Tali threw herself on Shepard. She buried her tongue in his mouth and clawed at his shirt until he managed to take it off himself. It took much longer to undress, especially on Tali's end, in their drunken state. A wayward boot knocked Shepard's Prothean orb from the table with a loud *thunk* but neither party seemed concerned despite the tendency of other relics they had found to explode by looking at it funny.

Suddenly Shepard pulled away and stood from the bed.

"Where are you going?" Tali asked.

"Sorry those drinks are starting to run through me, I just need to hit the head real quick."

"Hurry back."

"I will, try not to get started without me."

Shepard sped up the short flight of stairs in one bound and headed for his personal latrine. He propped himself against the wall with one hand and did his best to speed up the process but he had quite a bit to drink that night. After what seemed like an eternity he flushed the toilet and thoroughly washed his hands.

He stepped back into his room and found that Tali had already passed out on the bed. An adoring smile crept across his face as he stepped toward her. He did his best to move the bed covers around her without disturbing her, but it soon became evident that it would take a lot to make her stir; she was out cold. He lifted her head slightly and carefully slipped a pillow beneath it.

He made his way under the sheets and slid in tight, pulling her close with a hand around her waist. It wasn't long before he fell into another rare peaceful night of sleep.


	9. Reunions

Note: The final chapter. Just FYI this one will get pretty explicit at the very end, but I'm sure that won't surprise anyone. Thanks again for all of the support. I might go back and make a few changes here and there. I am also actively considering a post-Mass Effect 3 ending story wherein I may make some pretty liberal changes to like the last five minutes of the game if you know what I mean. Possibly involving elements of indoctrination theory. Who knows? Anyway, here's this.  
>_<p>

Shepard awoke to much less of a hangover and more lucid memories than he would have expected. Sometimes he wondered if Cerberus had given him a Krogan liver while they were reassembling him. He also had a feeling that Tali may not be sharing in his good spirits when she woke up. Turning to her, she still appeared to be comfortably unconscious, sprawled out on the bed with one arm dangling over the edge.

The commander smiled and shook his head, then stood from the bed. He could see a light flashing on his private terminal from the other side of his collection of various model ships and so headed toward it. He had one unread message, from Liara.

_To: Commander Shepard  
>From: Liara T'Soni <em>

_Subject: Birthday Wishes_

_Shepard,  
>My sources indicate that you and the crew have stopped at the Citadel for some brief shore leave. I had some matters to attend to personally aboard the Citadel as well and I was hoping we could get together just the two of us for a meal while we're both in the area. My treat, it is your birthday after all.<em> _Respond quickly and let me know when we can meet._

_Sincerely,  
>Liara.<em>

The notion of seeing Liara did excite Shepard to some degree, he hadn't seen her since before the suicide mission when he helped her take down and then assume the role of the Shadow Broker. At the same time however he wasn't sure how Tali might feel about him going off to meet the woman with whom he previously shared his bed. Although it was such a long time ago and she really had nothing to worry about, Tali could be a bit of the jealous type. He decided to go ahead and reply.

_To: Liara T'Soni  
>From: Commander Shepard<em>

_Subject: RE Birthday Wishes_

_Liara,  
>I'd love to meet up with you, we haven't had a chance to talk for a while. It looks like your putting your sources to good use. Meet me at The Zakera Café in two hours.<em>

_-Shepard._

Two hours should give him plenty of time to get things ready as well as smooth things over with Tali if necessary. Shepard left his desk and returned to his lady in the bed. He sat next to her on the edge of the bed and gently ran his fingers through her dark strands of hair. She began to stir slightly. Her hand which had once been dangling off the edge of the bed moved to position on the commander's thigh and gripped it tightly. She made a soft painful moaning sound while she did this. Shepard smiled and kissed her gently on the head.

"Looks like someone had a good night." He commented quietly.

"Shh… I'm right here." She replied weakly. "You don't need to be so loud."

"So what do Quarians do in the event of a hang over?"

"Hydrate, then pray that it stops soon. My suit will help me regulate once I put it back on. After I sleep for another hour or six."

Shepard laughed at that. "Well I wanted to know I just got a message from Liara, I'm going to meet her for lunch on the Citadel in a couple of hours."

Tali hesitated to answer for a while. "Is she taking you out for your birthday?" She asked.

"I think that was her plan. That's not going to bother you is it?"

"I trust you." She replied rather quickly. "And at the very least I trust that Liara knows about my shotgun."

"Well that's good to know." The commander replied with a grin. "And to be honest now that I've seen a Quarian out of the suit and subsequently made love to her, I don't think I could ever go back to an Asari."

"You really have a way with words don't you?"

Shepard arrived to the Zakera Café a little earlier than Liara. He found a table and ordered a drink, then watch dozens of people walking to and from the various stores and restaurants on the Zakera ward. It wasn't often he got to sit and just watch like this, so he relished it while he could. It wasn't long before he saw a familiar Asari face walking toward him among the crowd.

Liara's eyes similarly found the commander and she increased her pace to the Café. She extended her arms slightly when she reached him

"Shepard," She said as they embraced, "Happy birthday, it's good to see."

"Thanks," He replied, "It's good to see you too. I guess the life of a Shadow Broker isn't being too hard on you."

"No, I've been able to manage. And I can always make time for my friends. Shadow Broker or not."

The sat down at the table Shepard had gotten for them. "It's good to know you'll always remember the people you care about."

"How has the R and R been treating you so far?"

"There's been an unsurprising amount of alcohol so far. I imagine tonight will be much the same."

"I can see you're really putting that body to the test."

"There's only one way to find the limits."

"I also saw you had an appointment for two scheduled at Nos Astral Projections."

"Is it good that the Shadow Broker is so interested in my personal life."

"Sorry Shepard, it's hard not looking at anything I come across with your name on it. Did you have a nice time with Tali?"

The commander smiled while he reminisced briefly. "It was great actually. She really loved it."

"Good, I'm glad to hear things are going well. It's also nice to see you don't appear to be too bothered by the anniversary tomorrow. I've read to just about all there is on the incident at Akuze. I could imagine this would be a difficult time for you."

"Well I've had a couple friends help me with that too. I don't think it will be causing me anymore problems."

"Good." Liara replied.

Shepard and Liara continued to catch up over the course of two hours. They talked until their food came, they talked while they ate, and they continued to talk once their dishes had been taken.

"I think it's about time I head back to the Normandy." Shepard said. "Do you want to come with? You can see some more of the crew."

"I'd like that actually." Liara replied.

They stood from the table and headed to the nearest transit terminal. The cab arrived and quickly took them back to the docks. The Normandy's airlock opened up to a quiet and soulless CIC.

"Everyone is probably on the crew deck, if not they might have already started drinking."

"Or perhaps it's a little of both?" Liara commented.

"If they are we just might have to join them."

The two headed down the long hallway to the elevator and Shepard selected level three. Then they shared a quiet ride down one level.

"You know I keep thinking we should get some elevator music." Shepard said as they stepped out onto the crew deck. They turned the corner into the mess hall and they were greeted by a wall of people.

"SURPRISE!" The entire Normandy crew shouted at once.

"Holy hell!" Shepard said in reaction. He quickly scanned the area. There was a cake, finger foods, and several bottles of booze all around the table and counters. He turned to Liara. "Did you have something to do with this?"

Liara smiled as she replied. "Not really, it was all Tali's idea. She sent me a message yesterday asking me to get you off of the ship and keep you occupied for a couple hours while she got this all ready for you."

Shepard stepped toward his crew and began exchanging hugs and handshakes with all the men and women he had been serving with these last few months. A few stopped to hand him gifts but most continued on to pour themselves drinks. The commander was a little shocked when Legion handed him some kind of rolled up cloth with a ribbon around it.

"Legion, you got me a birthday present?"

"We do not see the need to celebrate the day of a platform's creation. However we understand organics' desires to celebrate the trivial. We were instructed by Joker to present you with this gift."

Shepard took off the ribbon and unrolled the cloth to see that it was actually a t-shirt. On the front of the shirt in big letters it read: "Quarian butts drive me nuts."

"Nice one Joker." The commander laughed.

"You know me commander, always keeping it classy."

"There's something else waiting for you in the lounge." Dr. Chakwas said.

"I don't know what could top a Quarian butts drive me nuts t-shirt."

"You'll just have to see." She replied.

"Will I need a gun?"

"I would hope not."

The commander headed to the lounge alone while the rest of the party goers made themselves drinks and comfortable around the mess hall. When the door opened he saw a male figure standing at the window with his back to the door. The man was wearing dark green combat armor and had a military haircut. The sound of the door opening caught his attention and he turned toward the commander.

"Toombs…" Shepard said quietly.

"Shepard, it's good to see you again."

"Well those are the last words I was expecting to hear from you. The last message you sent me said you'd kill me if you ever saw me again."

"A man can change in a month's time."

"If they really want to I guess. So what changed?"

"For one thing I heard you left Cerberus, heard you gave them a swift kick to the balls on your way out too."

The commander cracked a smile. "Yeah you could say that, although in my defense I'll still say I never really worked for them."

"No I get it. It was circumstantial. We're just on opposite ends of the spectrum you and I. We both made it out of Akuze somehow. You became a military hero and I got experimented on for several years. But if it had been the other way around, if Cerberus had given me a shiny new ship and a second chance at life like they did for you. God knows I would have done the same."

"I'm glad you came around to see it that way."

"Well a friend of yours actually convinced me. A girl named Tali I think it was? She sent me a pretty long message a couple days ago about your birthday and Akuze coming up. Said it might be good for both of us to get together. She also explained away Cerberus, it sounded like she had a pretty fair grudge against them too."

"Yeah you could say that. Well whatever the case I'm glad she did. It's good to see you Toombs."

"Glad I was in the area. Now it's my understanding there's a party going on out there and the guest of honor is in here. Let's go have a drink for old time's sake."

"You won't get any arguments from me."

Shepard and Toombs returned to the mess hall to join in the festivities. The crew listened eagerly to stories of a young Shepard long before he had ever taken command of the Normandy. His early days as a marine alongside Toombs provided more laughs and entertainment than any of them would have imagined. This was one of the rare times Shepard ever spoke of his past, but now he did so with a smile on his face.

With new warmth brewing in his heart, the commander simply wanted to thank the woman who had put this all together for him, but as he scanned the crowd he noticed for the first time that she was oddly absent. He turned to Garrus who had been sitting to his right for most of the reminiscence.

"Garrus, have you seen Tali? I just realized I haven't seen her for most of this party."

"It seemed like she was feeling a little under the weather." Garrus replied. "I think she may have headed off to your cabin."

"I think I'll go check on her then."

"Go easy on her commander." Garrus commented with a smirk.

The commander was a little confused by that last remark as he headed to the elevator to take him to his cabin. On the ride up his head was still buzzing over Toombs returning in his life and in a less violent way than he would have originally expected. All he wanted now was to thank Tali for the opportunity.

The door to his cabin opened and he was stopped dead in his tracks by what he saw and suddenly everything else that had happened today left his mind. Tali was lying on the bed facing him, expecting him, wearing next to nothing. A small black see through nightgown ran with her curves down just to the top of her thighs. Besides that there was nothing to cover her breasts. A small amount of black lace in the form of lingerie wrapped around her waistline, and was connected by small black straps to similarly colored stockings that covered her long curving legs.

"Is it hot in here?" The commander finally managed to mutter.

"Happy birthday." Tali replied with a toothy grin as she stood from the bed and walked toward him.

"You're spoiling me today."

"Shut up and unwrap your present."

Tali lunged for a kiss, wrapping both of her arms around the commander's neck. He returned with the same amount of passion, his hands already starting to cover her body. Tali yanked at his shirt until it was off over his head. He kicked off his shoes and then twisted Tali around in his arms and started kissing and biting at her neck while his hands maneuvered beneath the her small gown. Both were feeling the effects of the energy building between them as their heart rates accelerated and blood flowed to relevant areas.

Shepard earned a surprised gasp from Tali when he pushed her down onto the bed. He was quick to remove his remaining layers of clothing as he approached her from behind. His hands were ravenous across her body but soon they were pulling off the lace that kept him separated from her. He was forceful now, determined to have his way with her.

There was no build up this time as Shepard entered her. She released a loud moan and for a moment found it difficult to support her own body weight. The commander placed a firmly gripped hand at her shoulder and the other held strong on her thigh as he began to go to work. This was nothing like the delicate experience of their first time. Instead he came into her repeatedly with long hard thrusts and enjoyed watching the slight ripples in her back side as he did. The loud throaty reactions he garnered from her only pushed him harder.

After several long minutes of this the commander could see that Tali was having trouble keeping up this position at such a pace and in one swift motion he flipped her onto her back. He came in close and hard and their tongues flicked inside wide open mouths. He grabbed her legs and flung them over his shoulders as they came together again. Tali dug her hands deep into the commander's back as pleasure blossomed and exploded from within her.

He was relentless now. For him time seemed to slow as adrenaline burned through his veins and he took advantage of this, adjusting each pelvic movement to gain the most response from the woman beneath him. Tali cried out loudly, shouting his name intermingled with Quarian curse words. Now she wanted to show him what he was doing to her.

Without separating, Tali was able to use the strength of her legs to roll the commander over to his back so that she could be on top. Without losing that pace that he had set she rocked and bounced on top of him. He had moved one had to a tight grip on her butt while the other hand pulled her in for long passionate exchanges between her exhausted gasps and moans.

The commander pulled his legs up toward himself and now used the extra moment from his bent knees to thrust up from beneath. Tali threw her head back and Shepard's hands moved to her breasts and began forcibly massaging them. He could feel himself coming to an end soon and for another few brief moments time all but stopped for the both of them. With one more shout from Tali they climaxed together and Tali's body collapsed across the commander's.

They exchanged no words for a while, just panted against each other's sweat soaked bodies. Shepard was first to adequately catch his breath.

"You know, I just came up here to say thank you for the party and talking to Toombs like that. You didn't have to do all this too."

"Who says I did this for you?" Tali replied.

"Does that mean you'll be doing things like this for yourself more often?"

"Well I don't know why I would get rid of the outfit now."

"You definitely can't return it anymore."

Tali laughed. "You know it's not that late, we could probably still return to the party. You are the guest of honor after all."

"Garrus and Joker are going to have a field day when we show up together."

"Let them talk."

"Alright then," Shepard said as he moved from under Tali and stood from the bed. "Meet me in the shower in ten minutes."

"Is that an order?"

Shepard replied with a grin and headed to the bathroom. He stopped just outside the door when he noticed something sitting next to the terminal on his desk. It was a framed picture of their date on the Citadel. Shepard was bearing his regular, dignified, closed mouth grin but Tali's smile was beaming. At the bottom was an inscription that read:

_After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and through shoals of dust, I will remain at your side._


End file.
